When a small country becomes miniature

This place is usually marketed as an attraction for children, but adults will enjoy this special experience as well. This miniature park at the Ayalon Valley near Latrun, covers an area of 35,000 square meters (7.5 Acres) and features more than 350 miniature models (usually at a scale of 1:25) of sites and structures around Israel: archeological sites, holy places, historical and national buildings, parks and nature reserves, museums, culture and art institutes, towers and many more. And this place features not only miniature buildings but also miniature gardens with thousands of miniature trees planted among them.

The park is designed in the shape of a Star of David, and each area features its characteristic sites. And thus one moves from one place to another, from one area in the country to another, and views everything from a completely different viewpoint. Thus, when you walk around between all of Israel’s tourist sites, from the Dan to Eilat, or from North to South, you will discover places anew. The great fun is to locate the places that you know and to examine them from all, also unfamiliar angles. You won’t believe how pretty they look bunched up all together.

Even in its smaller version, the most exciting site here is Jerusalem. Viewing the city as a whole gives one a perspective on the richness and beauty that is expressed in the numerous architectural traditions of the ancient and new sites of this city which is holy to all three major religions.

All of the models were constructed through a long process which included in its first stages a meticulous research, the photographing of the structures and the viewing of their building plans. After that, with the help of advanced computer technologies, and then sculpturing, casting and reinforcing, the models were created. Additional crews were responsible for the artistic finishing touches of the models, painting and decorating them. Finally, the engineering crew designed dynamic mechanisms and control systems in adding movement and sound to the figures integrated into the models, thus creating scenes from everyday life.